Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-12
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The chart and table below show the results of a survey of library users at a university.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Categories of library users
Student answer (Band 5.5)
The outcome of the survey of library users at a college is represented on the diagrams as seen
Overall, it is observed that in the chart, the percentage of full-time undergraduate has a massive turn up in the categories of library users whereas the academic staff has the lowest percentage. While, in the table, it is seen that people are more dissatisfied in the availability of journals and are much satisfied in the helpfulness of staff in the library.
In the first diagram, one can deduce that the full-time undergraduate students with 44% library usage are more likely to use it, all because they're the people that have full access to it unlike the academic staff with 7% usage, everyone knows that academic staff function focuses on the academic wellness of students, they're not students so has nothing much to do with the library, also, the part-time post graduate with 16% library access, these people have another thing else they're engaged in and as such pay little attention to the library as their other jobs doesn't permit them to focus. Additionally, the full-time postgraduates with 25% use of library, these are graduates that have one or another course, diploma or program to run, they don't have much interest in the library because they have graduated. Then comes the distance learning with just 8%, these ones are far from the location of the library, so they don't have much access to it.
In the second diagram, students have more satisfaction in the library activities with the helpfulness of staff which has the highest satisfaction 95% which signifies that the staff of the library are very helpful compared to the unavailability of journals which has the lowest 45% on the list. The two diagrams indicate that most undergraduates are people with much access to the library and more people tend to be very satisfied with the assistance of staff in the library.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers the main features of the data, but it suffers from significant issues regarding the interpretation of the information. You have included personal opinions and speculative reasoning that are not supported by the data, such as claiming academic staff have 'nothing much to do with the library' or that postgraduates 'don't have much interest in the library because they have graduated.' In IELTS Academic Task 1, you must report only what is shown in the charts without adding external assumptions. While you identified the highest and lowest categories, the analysis is weakened by these subjective additions, which prevents the response from reaching a higher band.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or repetitive, such as the frequent use of 'In the first diagram' and 'In the second diagram.' Some transitions are awkward, for example, 'everyone knows that...' which is an informal way to link ideas. The progression of ideas within paragraphs is sometimes disjointed due to the inclusion of personal commentary rather than a focus on comparing the data points. To improve, focus on using a wider variety of linking words and ensure that each sentence logically follows the previous one based on the data provided.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision required for a higher band. Phrases like 'massive turn up' and 'another thing else' are informal and imprecise. You also use repetitive phrasing, such as 'have much access' and 'have much interest.' While you successfully use terms like 'dissatisfied' and 'signifies,' the overall range is limited. To achieve a higher score, focus on using more academic collocations and precise terminology related to data description, such as 'proportion,' 'significant,' 'minority,' and 'fluctuation,' rather than relying on conversational language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. Examples include 'the percentage of full-time undergraduate has a massive turn up' (should be 'undergraduates' and 'increase'), 'they're not students so has nothing much to do' (subject-verb agreement error), and 'as their other jobs doesn't permit them' (subject-verb agreement). Punctuation is also inconsistent, with several run-on sentences and comma splices. While the meaning is generally clear, these persistent errors in basic grammar and sentence construction limit the score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and avoiding comma splices to improve accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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